CM to speak on agri laws during no-trust motion today

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 9

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today offered replies to a myriad of issues, including the functioning of the staff selection panel, unemployment, rising prices and law and order etc, but stopped short of touching farmers' issues.

Khattar said that he would speak on the farmers' issues and the farm laws when the Congress brings the no-confidence motion tomorrow.

In a marathon reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's Address in the state Assembly that lasted till 7.30 pm, Khattar also listed the achievements of his government during the past one and a half year. He said agriculture and health had remained in special focus of his government.

"No one had expected that Covid-19 would suddenly bring the world on its knees. But our government worked overtime to provide relief to people during the lockdown. We announced a Rs 1,200 crore package, provided relief to 16 lakh families, 4.86 lakh families got ration for three months under the Distress Ration Coupon Scheme, migrants were sent home through 100 special trains and 6,600 buses. The migrants were again brought back once the lockdown was lifted and industries opened," he said.

Khattar said that his government launched a special drive to conserve water and farmers were motivated to diversify from water-guzzling paddy to other crops under the Mera Pani, Meri Virasat scheme.

He added that farmers cultivating 96,250 acres had adopted crop diversification under the scheme and Rs 7,000 per acre had been given to them as incentive.

Khattar and Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra had a long argument while replying on the issue of the termination of the services of PTI teachers and the cancellation of the recruitment process for PGTs in English and Sanskrit.

He blamed the previous Congress government led by Bhupinder Hooda for all this. While Khattar justified his government's actions by saying that the HC had passed the orders and even the Supreme Court had upheld the HC order, Batra blamed it on the BJP government. Hooda also intervened and said it was because of the Khattar government's stand in courts that the candidates were suffering.

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